The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-20
THE CALIGR APH.
Reply to $1,000 Challenge.

Messrs WYCKOFF, SEAMANS, s. BENEDICT,
New York city.
Gentlemen: We are in receipt of the marked copy
of Wednesdays New York Tribune which you mailed
to We at first thought it was patent medicine
ad.; careful examination reveals that 1t pur-
ports to be an hoEestly-nads challenge for speed
trial of writing machines. IF this challenge was really
intended for anything other than deceptive adver-
tsemen its wording is unfortunate to say the least
and we suggest that it be modified somewhat
In the first place, lease of manipulation" IS NOT
unquestioned and we would like the trial one OF
duration. that this matter could also be
tested.
With all due respect for the Declaration of INDIE
pendence we do not think it suitable matter for a
trial of this character. Writing machines were not
much used in 1776 otherwise the trainers of this I'M
paper would very likely have made it more suit
able for the purpose You arrange the
lowing deductions for One second for every
omitted. misspelled misplaced word" This would
indicate that you expect your operator to accomplish
sixty words per minute and think it is possible he
may reach that speed, but the average word has
but five letters and if you will read the Declaration
of Independence you will find it contains several words
of more than Ave letters suggest that this
for is really remum offered for the mutila
ton of the Declaration OF independence oy leaving
out all of its long and Understanding words thing
too patriotic to consent to.
Again, in your deduction for errors, you allow
pDnetnation mark or capital letter. As it
takes two strokes, and of them an excep-
tionally slow and hard one. to print capital OF
the Caligraph has key for every character PRINT
ing capitals and punctuation marks with tne same
ington machine in such a trial is given premium OF
ta letters and periods and would be practically using
a single case machine against our double case lie
enee of all these characters, while the Caligraph
operator would run along through 1t only dropping
here and there a long word.
cvy,
the umpire, but under the terms made we don see
how he could be much OF an umpire anyway. Chal-
in business circles, but believe such challenges
must be based a square trial or they apt to be
treated with deserved contempt.
As you have sometimes disputed claim that the
Caligraph will produce more work In a given time
than can be accomplished on a Remington typewriter
and fair trial of the speed of writing machines
will go far toward settling this point and as it might
be matter of general interest to have record made
Of what be accomplished by modern Typewriter
IN given time we propose that trla oe 70
take place in New York at some convenient day not
Let the Judges be prominent court stenographers
these judges together selecting umpire who shall
only in the that the judges cannot decide
the matter. Let each competitor provide one ma
chine, operator and one reader. Let each COM
petitor pay his individual expenses and pro rata
share of the expenses of the trial.
the transcript of evidence in some law only
STIMULATING that the matter be and unfamiliar to
that work is commenced and give the signal when it
is be closed permitting the operators to finish six
OF eisnI "ork tdS oo uCOOSu upoi
hand by the judges) a go-as you-please race, the
judges TO award the honors to that machine which
comshes the best results between the hours set for
trial.
The 81, 600 part of your challenge we think had
better be omitted. You will pardon the expression,
but it is decidedly a chestnut" We know it has
been favorte figure of speech with your Mr.. Wyckof
for years back. and it has appeared in the
papers occasionally We tried faithfully it
at Buffalo at the time of the stenographers conven-
ton there; tried again at New Orleans at the time
of the Worlds Cotton Exposition. and really. gentle
men, it is too Elusive to be struggled for.
Yours respectfully,
THE AMERICAN WRITING MACHIHE co.
HARTFORD, Conn, Dec g. 1887.